When the Army’s Joint Personal Property Shipping Office faced the prospect of doubling its workload in household-goods logistics, it looked to Document Services’ Document Automation Content Services solution to streamline its document-management processes.
JPPSO has been using the web-based application since 2013 to manage the Army’s Permanent Change of Station moves of household goods, non-temporary storage requirements and vendor remittances. Document Services is a global capability of DLA Information Operations.
DACS provides JPPSO with 14 configured process workflows for all-electronic document package routing, review, approval and archiving. “DACS provides standardized file sharing for Army PCS documentation that is seamless to our customers,” said Joe Fagan, director, Document Services business development.
The Document Services team configured the records management file plan in DACS for customers to populate and maintain. With over 410 users, its database is estimated to hold 8.7 million documents — almost three terabytes of content and metadata.
DACS users are able to search and retrieve pertinent documents within seconds, apply records-management policies and access document-disposition schedules. According to project manager Darryl Cherry, “The solution processes 10,000 transactions per week on average. They can even double or triple that during summer and fall, their busy seasons. At any given time, there are about 300 users logged into the DACS system spanning worldwide.”
“Document Services assisted in radically changing the way Army did business, saving them substantial money while streamlining their business processes,” said Document Services customer account manager Dawn Burton. “These customers have been excellent spokespersons for Document Services.”
DACS’ workflows allow managers to monitor each technician’s package assignments and to generate reports. Additionally, commercial vendors have a web-scanning portal that allows them to upload their invoices and supporting documents for expediting payments. A dashboard and analytics are included, as written in the memorandum of agreement.
Because DACS has been so successful after only three-years, it will soon be provided to other personal-property shipping offices. “They will soon enjoy an online, automated solution that is auditable, searchable and trackable,” said Document Services Director Steve Sherman.
In the near term, Burton will work with the customer to expand offerings to nine other JPPSO offices who perform similar functions. Expansion plans call for scaling the program for the Army to use the solution, then replicate it to all services under DoD.
“We all keep records. We’re all required to practice records management the same way. DACS is the answer to a common business need,” Sherman said. “Document Services’ DACS solution is a best business practice that can be leveraged across organizations.”
“By the end of fiscal year 2016, every Army base JPPSO services will be using the JPPSO DACS system, with Fort Hood and Fort Bliss being some the most recent additions to the JPPSO DACS site,” said Cherry.